Understanding how melanoma cells change to resist treatment
Transcriptional Reprogramming in Melanoma Plasticity
This work aims to understand why advanced melanoma becomes resistant to current treatments, focusing on how cancer cells change their behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wistar Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141055 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Advanced melanoma is a very aggressive skin cancer, and while new treatments have helped many, some patients don't respond or their cancer comes back. This happens because melanoma cells can change their identity, becoming more resistant to therapies. We want to uncover the hidden molecular switches that control these changes, specifically looking at a protein called TFEB. By understanding how TFEB influences melanoma cells and their surroundings, we hope to find new ways to overcome treatment resistance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work is relevant to patients with advanced melanoma, particularly those who have experienced treatment resistance or relapse.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage melanoma that has not spread or shown resistance to treatment may not directly benefit from this specific research focus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies and targets for developing more effective treatments for advanced melanoma, especially for patients whose cancer resists current therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary studies by this team have identified TFEB as a novel factor in melanoma progression, suggesting a promising new direction for understanding drug resistance.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Wistar Institute — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liang, Chengyu — Wistar Institute
- Study coordinator: Liang, Chengyu
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.